Along for the Ride
by Dannyblue
Summary: Crossover with Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. Dean picks up a hitchhiker, a teenaged girl who seems to favor the color yellow.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Along For the Ride, a _Supernatural/Power Rangers: Dino Thunder_ Crossover (1?)  
**Author:** Dannyblue  
**Fandoms:** _Supernatural, Power Rangers: Dino Thunder_  
**Chapters:** 1?  
**Pairing:** None.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers:** General spoilers for both shows.  
**Summary:** Gen fic. Dean picks up a hitchhiker, a teen-aged girl who seems to favor the color yellow.  
**AN:** So, I found myself thinking, "What's the most unexpected SPN crossover you could write?" And this is what I came up with. I guess an SPN/Care Bears crossover would be more unexpected, but I'm thinkin' this ranks pretty close.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

Dean Winchester hated hitchhikers.

Okay, it wasn't the hitchhikers he hated so much as the fact that they were hitchhiking. Hitching wasn't the safest thing in the world. Anyone in their right mind knew that. And after all the time he'd spent saving people from the things most didn't know were out there, seeing someone put themselves in a dangerous situation on purpose kind of pissed him off.

And, yeah, he'd had to hitch a few times himself. But that was different. He was a hunter, more than able to handle anybody who tried to give him trouble, no matter how big and bad they thought they were. Most of the hitchers he saw couldn't say the same.

So, hitchhikers annoyed him. Which was why he reacted a little strong when he saw one.

"Oh, son of a bitch!" Dean grumbled as his foot eased off the gas pedal. Because not stopping never even crossed his mind.

Up ahead, a slender figure stood on the side of the road, arm out and thumb up in the universal hitchhiking sign. Long, wavy hair whipped in the breeze.

"Just perfect," Dean sneered in disgust. "She might as well have 'psycho bait' written on her t-shirt."

And it was a she. A she who looked younger and younger the closer he got.

He was close enough for him to make out some details now. Like she was about 16 or 17 at the most, average height. Slender, yeah, but not too thin. She wore a long-sleeved, black t-shirt under a yellow tank-top that had a grungy design splashed across the front. And her jeans were old and faded.

Dean's first thought was 'runaway.' She wouldn't be the first he'd come across. Kids trying to get away from bad home situations. Or even kids whose home lives weren't so bad. They just decided to run off to the big city to find their dreams, heads filled with movies that made it look like a fun adventure.

The girl must've realized he was stopping. As she lowered her arm, she studied the Impala with narrow, suspicious eyes. So at least she had enough sense to be wary, if not enough to not be hitching in the first place.

As the car pulled to a stop next to her, Dean leaned towards the open passenger window. "Need a ride?" he asked, trying not to sound like a dirty old man offering candy to a Girl Scout.

The girl didn't answer right away. Instead, she bent down to get a better look inside the car. Sharp hazel eyes gave Dean a quick once over.

As she studied him, Dean studied her.

_Something's missing from this picture,_ he thought with a frown. A bag. He didn't see a bag anywhere. She wasn't even wearing a jacket. So maybe she wasn't a hitcher or runaway after all. Maybe she was a local whose car had broken down on a side road or something. In which case, she probably just needed a phone to call for help.

"You live around here?" he asked.

The girl stopped staring at him long enough to roll her eyes. "Not even close," she said. "I was just…dropped here, I guess you could say." And there was a world off hidden meaning in those words.

Dean's quick mind put the pieces together. That maybe her previous ride asked for the kind of payment that didn't involve money. And, when she refused, they dumped her in the middle of nowhere, and took any possessions she'd had with them.

"So, you want that ride or not?" Dean demanded. The fact that she _was_ a hitcher—and was about to jump right into a potentially bad situation after just getting out of another one—made him more snappish than he'd intended. "Where you headed?"

The question seemed to completely stump her. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. And, suddenly, she looked lost, and scared. And even younger than she was. "Um, civilization would be a good start."

Dean nodded. "Get in then."

The girl hesitated, giving Dean another long once-over, her dark eyeliner making the look even more intense. Dean's patience was just about to run out when she finally nodded. "Thanks."

His new passenger got into the car, slamming the door shut behind her. And making Dean wince in the process.

Once she was settled in, Dean put the Impala in gear. And, by the time they were about thirty seconds down the road, a heavy, awkward silence had filled the car. The girl was tense, sitting stiff as a board, like she expected him to pounce on her any minute. And Dean…

Well, Dean was wishing Sammy was here. Sam would know how to handle a nervous possible runaway. He could ooze compassion at the drop of a hat, could get total strangers to trust him in four seconds flat. Despite being a freakin' giant, he had the uncanny ability to come across as harmless and safe. The way he handled people, he should've majored in psychology instead of pre-law.

Yep, Sam would know exactly what to do.

Glaring at the road ahead, Dean muttered, "Stupid 'flu."

At the sound of his voice, his young passenger almost jumped out of her skin.

"Geez, relax, okay," Dean grumbled. Which probably wasn't the best way to put her at ease. But if taking rides with strangers made her this nervous, what the hell was she doing hitching in the first damn…

Realizing he was getting angry, which wouldn't help any, Dean took a deep, calming breath. "Look, what's your name?"

She gave him a suspicious look, seeming reluctant to reveal even that much.

"I'm Dean Winchester." Maybe she'd give if he gave first.

She thought about it another second before she mumbled, "Kira Ford."

Dean nodded, oddly pleased to have gotten that much out of her. But the brief feeling of triumph soon vanished as awkward silence once again enveloped the car.

Sighing, Dean pushed a cassette into the player. Soon, the soothing sounds of AC/DC filled the Impala.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Along For the Ride (2?)  
**Author:** dannyblue  
**Fandoms:** Supernatural, Power Rangers: Dino Thunder  
**Pairing:** None.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers:** General spoilers for both shows.  
**Summary:** Gen fic. Dean picks up a hitchhiker, a teen-aged girl who seems to favor the color yellow.

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Can I use your phone?"

Dean glanced over at his young passenger. Kira still sat stiff as a board in her seat, and nervous fingers fiddled with the bracelet—a silver band with a yellow stone in the center—on her left wrist.

Dean took his cell out his jacket's inner pocket. "Here you go."

With a mumbled, "Thanks," Kira took the phone and quickly started to dial. Long distance, judging by the number of digits she pressed.

Eyes back on the road, Dean sighed. He wouldn't say he was starting to panic. Not out loud, anyway. It was more like the size of the mess he'd stepped in had just hit home.

Really, what was he supposed to do? Drop her off at the next town, fresh meat for the first sick piece of work that came along. She was young, pretty, alone, and scared—no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Some psycho would take one look at her and think it was their lucky day.

Taking her home was an option…if she'd even admit where home was. And, if she had good reasons to run away from the place, who said she'd be any better off going back there?

Besides, runaways could be skittish as nervous colts. Push too hard, say the wrong thing, and she'd rabbit before he figured out what to do with her.

As he heard Kira dialing another number, Dean realized she hadn't said anything the first time. So her first call hadn't been answered.

Trying not to be obvious about it, Dean watched as she pressed the phone to her ear. Maybe she'd decided life on the road was a little too real for her and was trying to call home. In which case, problem solved.

If not, he could always drop her off at the nearest police station. Let the authorities deal with her. That was the "sensible" thing to do. But Dean had heard about one runaway who managed to slip out of police custody. He ended up the star of some pretty ugly crime scene photos.

Damn! The already short list of options kept getting shorter every second.

Dean shook his head. Picking Kira up had complicated his life in a hurry.

Snapping the phone shut without ever saying a word, Kira handed it back to him. "Thanks."

"No problem," Dean said as he pocketed his cell. "Nobody home?"

"I guess not." And if 'sadness' and 'dejection' ever needed a poster girl, she could be it.

So he had a young, scared, _depressed_ teen-aged runaway in his car. This went beyond complicated. And, if he wanted to uncomplicate things, talking to her would be a good start.

Dean rolled his eyes. Playing social worker wasn't his deal. But it wasn't like he had much choice.

"So, where you from?" he began, even though he doubted she'd answer.

So he was surprised when she did, and without hesitation.

"Reefside. In California?" She looked at him expectantly. "Ever hear of it?"

"Can't say I have."

Kira frowned, almost like she didn't believe him. "You've never heard of Reefside?"

Eyes narrowed, Dean went over the mental list of California towns he'd driven through over the years. "Don't think so. Why? Should I have?"

His ignorance of her hometown seemed to depress her even more. "If you've never heard of Reefside, I guess you've never heard of the Power Rangers either."

"What are they, a team from back home? They win some big championship or something?"

Kira sighed, and it was like all the energy drained out of her body on that one breath. She sunk down low in her seat. "It's not important."

Dean frowned. It must be important, or she wouldn't be reacting this way. But he couldn't figure out why his never hearing of Reefside or Power Rangers (and what kind of name was that for a team anyway?) would bother her so much.

"You're a long way from home," Dean continued, trying to keep her talking.

"You have no idea." Then Kira closed her eyes, a clear sign she didn't want to talk anymore.

* * *

Kira Ford's eyes were closed, but her mind was racing. She was trying not to freak out. It was something she'd gotten good at since she became a Ranger. But this? This was out there, even for her.

She'd known something weird had happened. One minute, she was fully morphed, fighting one of Mesagog's mutant freaks in the heart of the city. The next, she was unmorphed, and standing in the middle of the woods.

Her first thought had been teleportation. And the fact that the explanation made perfect sense to her told you what her life was like. And, while she was a little freaked by the unexpected trip, she hadn't really been worried. She'd just contact Dr. Oliver. He'd know what to do.

Only, when she tried to use her communicator to contact Dr. O, or Hayley, or the guys or _anybody_, she got nothing. And when she tried to re-morph, nothing happened.

So her communicator/morpher was damaged. No big deal. She could always phone home the old fashioned way.

Kira walked through the woods for about half an hour (and was soon sick and tired of green, and trees, and nature in general) before she stumbled on the main road. Picking a direction, she started walking. But she soon realized she was in the middle of nowhere. And, by foot, it might take hours to reach whatever passed for civilization around here.

That's when she decided to stop a car and ask to use a cell phone. But the road didn't have a lot of traffic. At least ten minutes passed between cars, and none of them even slowed down. Not when she waved her arms in the universal sign for, "I need help, please stop." Not when she switched to the hitchhiking sign, hoping that would be more effective.

No, that wasn't true. One vehicle slowed down. A dark blue, creepy-assed van with rusted paint and tinted windows. Not only did it slow down, it seemed to crawl as it went past her. Something about the van sent a shiver down Kira's spine, and she was relieved when it disappeared out of sight.

The fact that the same van, traveling in the opposite direction, did another slow drive by about five minutes later left her truly wigged. She wanted to believe it was just some local teens messing with her or something. But she had a bad feeling it wasn't. And, Ranger or not, there were some situations where being scared was just good common sense.

When she saw a car coming that _wasn't_ Creepy Van, she almost fainted with relief. She had her arm out and thumb up before she could even think about it.

It was a cool old car, and the driver was a guy who would have most of the girls at Reefside High swooning at his feet.

She'd only intended to ask for a phone. But, then, the driver asked if she wanted a ride. And the idea of being anywhere but at the side of that road made her heart leap in her chest. Then, she was filled with the sudden, irrational fear that he'd just up and drive away, leaving her there all by herself…just in time for Creepy Van to make another pass.

Kira had always been good at reading people. Becoming a Ranger just made her better at it. And she wasn't getting any bad vibes off this Dean Winchester guy. Besides, she _was_ a Ranger. She might not be able to morph, might not have her full power, but she had enough to handle the guy if he turned out to be a jerk.

So, she hopped into the car, and away they went.

Her mom would kill her if she ever found out. And Dr. O would help. Good thing she never intended to tell them.

When her new chauffer let her use his phone, the first number she called was Dr. O's. But, when she dialed the home of her teacher and mentor, she got one of those, "We're sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed," messages.

Next, she called her home number. But it wasn't her home number anymore. It was the number of some Chinese take-out place.

She hung up without saying anything, because she couldn't talk. Not with the insane suspicion twirling around in her head. A suspicion that became more real after her brief chat with Dean Winchester.

When giant mutant monsters attacked a city on a regular basis, that city became big news. Especially when a team of multi-colored superheroes battled those monsters. So there was no way anyone who wasn't living under a rock wouldn't have heard of Reefside or the Power Rangers. Unless…

Unless she was in a place where the Power Rangers didn't exist. Unless she'd been transported not just to a different location, but to a different reality. Which was impossible.

Just like multi-colored superheroes fighting giant mutant monsters was impossible.

* * *

Kira was quiet for so long, Dean thought she'd fallen asleep. Then, the sound of a stomach growling filled the car, and her eyes flew open.

Dean couldn't hide a smirk as he watched Kira's pale skin turn beet read.

"You hungry?" he asked, a lilt of amusement in his voice.

Another growl answered his question. And Dean chuckled when he heard Kira's groan of embarrassment.

"Okay. We're stopping to get something to eat."

"Um, no thanks." Kira squirmed in her seat. "I'm okay."

"Oh, come on!" Dean scoffed. "You trying to tell me you aren't hungry? Because I think your stomach begs to differ."

"No, it's not that. It's just…Well, I don't exactly have any money."

He'd thought as much. "No problem. I'll pay."

When she opened her mouth to speak, Dean figured he was about to hear a denial. So, he cut her off at the pass. "Look, it's okay. I don't expect you to pay me back." He paused meaningfully. "In _any_ way. Got it?"

Kira blushed even harder, if that was possible. "Uh, y-yeah," she stammered. "Got it."

"Good." Dean smiled, glad at least one thing had been settled.

After that, another silence fell over the car. But this one was more comfortable than the last.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Watching Kira eat was an experience. As small as she was, who'd believe she could put it away like that? She hadn't looked at anything but her plate since the waitress slid it in front of her.

"Hey, slow down," Dean chuckled. "It ain't going anywhere."

Kira froze, another forkful of food halfway to her mouth. As she seemed to realize how she'd been stuffing her face, a light flush tinted her pale skin.

"Sorry," she said as she used her free hand to wipe some gravy off her chin. "It's just…I haven't had anything to eat in a while."

And, just like that, Dean's amusement vanished. He knew how it was. Once the money ran out, runaways couldn't exactly count on three squares a day. And, if their stomachs had been empty long enough, they'd do almost anything to fill them. Drive down certain streets in any decent-sized city and you saw proof of that.

"Yeah, well…" Gruffly, Dean cleared his throat. "Let me know if you want anything else."

Nodding, Kira resumed eating, but at a more sedate pace.

Dean sat back in his seat and took a sip of his coffee. For a moment, he let the familiar sights and sounds of a busy diner--soft chatter, forks scraping against plates, tinny country music playing over the speakers--wash over him. Most people wouldn't have found the atmosphere all that relaxing. But Dean wasn't most people.

As he set his cup back down, Dean studied his passenger. Ever since he picked her up, he'd been trying to figure out a way to do this. A way that was compassionate, sensitive, and wouldn't scare her off. But, when he came right down to it, there was only one way he could think of to do it.

His way.

"Okay, here's the thing." Dean folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "You're a runaway, right?"

Kira jumped in her seat, almost like someone had snuck up behind her and yelled, "Boo!" The fork hanging half out of her mouth, she stared at him with wide, startled eyes.

"It's okay," Dean rushed to assure her. "I'm not going to turn you in to the cops or anything. So you don't have to try sneaking off as soon as my back is turned." He gave her a warning look. "Alright?"

For a long moment, she just stared at him, like she didn't know what to say or how to react. Then, finally, she nodded.

"Good. Now, the way I see it, that leaves me with a little problem. I can't just drop you off somewhere all by yourself, now can I? And I don't suppose you want me to take you back home?" He had to ask, even though he already knew what the answer would be.

As expected, Kira shook her head.

"What about somewhere else?" Dean continued. "Do you have any relatives anywhere that you'd want to stay with? A grandma or aunt or something?"

Another shake.

"What about a runaway shelter? There are places you can go where they won't make you call home. In fact, I know someone…"

This head shake was more vigorous, almost panicky.

Dean sighed. "See? A problem."

Kira gave him an almost apologetic look. But she didn't offer to take one of the options, either. Just kept eating, soulful eyes watching him as silence fell over the table.

Dean's lips pressed into a thin, frustrated line. A runaway shelter, a good one, was the best place for her. He knew a hunter who ended up in one after he ran away from an abusive father. They'd helped him kick a burgeoning drug habit, finish school, get a job, put together some kind of a normal life for himself. He told Dean more than once he would've ended up dead without that shelter.

But if he just dropped Kira off at one, she probably wouldn't stay. Places like that only worked if the kid wanted the help. Once she had time to think things over, to realize the streets weren't the healthiest place for her to be, she might decide to go to shelter herself. He hoped. But, until then…

With a silent groan, Dean reached up to rub his forehead.

"Okay then. I guess you can ride with me until you figure out what you want to do."

It shouldn't have been possible for Kira's eyes to get any bigger. But, somehow, she managed.

"I'm on my way to pick up my brother," Dean continued, since she seemed too stunned to say anything. "Sammy came down with the 'flu, so I had to leave him while I took care of a job solo. We should be there in a few hours."

There was a long pause as Kira let what he said sink in. Finally, she simply said, "Okay." No arguments. No questions. Just 'okay.' Then, she started eating again.

_Huh,_ Dean thought, a little taken aback. He would've expected more of a reaction from her. But it seemed Kira was good at rolling with the punches.

"Your brother?" she finally asked after a while.

"Yeah, my little brother." The fact that said brother, at 6-freaking-4, was taller than him--which was all kinds of unfair--didn't count. "His name's Sam."

"And you two, what, work together?"

"Yeah. We do consulting work all over, so we travel a lot."

"Sounds cool," Kira said. "I've hardly been anywhere outside of Reefside. Well, until now." She took a sip of her cola.

"Where are you headed anyway?" Dean asked. New York, he'd guess. Or maybe Chicago. Although, living in California, he would've expected her to run away to Los Angeles. That was the chosen destination for a lot of runaways. The land of swimming pools, movie stars, and big dreams. Instead, here Kira was, halfway across the country. Like maybe she was wanted to get as far away from home as possible.

"I'm not exactly sure where I'm going," Kira said. "I didn't actually mean to leave home when I did. It just sorta…happened."

Dean tried to imagine what would make a kid just up and leave home. And his mind was filled with memories of yelling, and pushing, and shoving. Sam telling Dad he was going to college, whether Dad liked it or not. Dad shouting that, if Sam walked out the door, he shouldn't bother coming back. And Dean unable to do a damn thing but watch his family fall apart.

Dean quickly shook off that particular memory. Instead, he focused on the here and now. He'd just invited a teenaged girl along on their extended road trip. And he had no idea what to do with a teenaged girl. Not _now_. He'd known exactly what to do with a teenaged girl when _he_ was a teenaged boy, but this was a totally different situation. The past few years, he hadn't dealt with many females under the age of twenty.

And what if a job came up? Something that couldn't be put off. Once the guns, knives and holy water came out, Kira would figure she'd been picked up by a nut job for sure. And if things got dangerous, she sure wasn't up to taking care of herself. So, on top of dealing with…whatever, Dean would be worrying about keeping Kira safe too.

And then there was Sam. Dean could already imagine how Sam would react to Kira. And it was enough to fill him with dread.

Suddenly, a horrendous country song poured out of the speakers. And it must've been somebody's favorite, because they turned it up. Which just made it worse.

Grimacing in pain, Dean looked at Kira, who wore an identical grimace. "You ready to get out of here?"

Nodding eagerly, Kira pushed her empty plate aside. "Definitely."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After another trip to the bathroom (thanks to a diet of water, juice, and chicken broth), Sam Winchester collapsed onto his bed. He was over the worst of the 'flu, but his energy reserves were still low.

Yawning, he got under the covers. He'd been awake for a whole four hours this time, and was ready for another nap. The fact that he'd been so tired was the only thing that kept him from going stir crazy while Dean was gone. He'd slept so much, he hadn't had time to start climbing the walls from boredom. But he was glad Dean was on his way back. By tomorrow morning, he'd be ready to do something besides sleep, watch TV, and make short trips to the kitchenette for a change of pace.

Settling his head on the pillow with a sigh, Sam frowned. Dean had called a few hours ago to say he would be late. And he'd sounded…strange. Preoccupied. Not as cocky and hyped up as he usually got after a successful hunt. It made Sam wonder if getting the poltergeist out of that nursery school had been as easy Dean had claimed. It would be just like him to hide an injury so Sam wouldn't feel bad for not being there to back him up. And if Dean _had_ been hurt because Sam wasn't there…

Before his guilt could work up a good head of steam, Sam heard the dulcet growl of the Impala's engine as it prowled into the parking lot.

Smiling, Sam sat up against the headboard. He thought about going out to help Dean bring his stuff inside—and seeing first hand whether his brother was hurt or not. But, since Dean would just order him to get his sick ass back inside, there was no real point. Besides, he was sick. He was allowed to be lazy a little while longer.

It wasn't long before he heard a key rattling in the lock. Sam opened his mouth, a greeting for his brother poised on the tip of his tongue.

And it stayed there, because the door flew open, and a figure much shorter and more slender than Dean flew inside. As this figure streaked past the foot of his bed, he got a brief impression of a yellow top, and long, wavy hair. Then, the whirlwind disappeared into the bathroom, the door banging shut behind it.

Mouth hanging open, Sam stared at the faux wood paneling. And was still staring when his brother came inside, a duffle bag in each hand.

"Hey, Sam," Dean said as he kicked the door shut.

"Uh, hey," Sam mumbled absently, eyes still on the bathroom door. What…? Who…?

"How you feeling?" Dean continued. Placing his gear on the bed, he studied Sam with a critical eye. "I know you said you were fine on the phone, but…"

"I _am_ fine," Sam automatically replied. "Almost a hundred percent."

"Good," Dean smiled. Then, like nothing out of the ordinary was going on, he unzipped his a duffel bag and started to unpack.

Sam, still stunned by the yellow tornado that had just passed through, almost let him get away with it. Then…

"Hey!" he exclaimed as his brain kicked into gear. "What the hell, Dean?"

Dean gave him a look of complete innocence. "What?"

"What!" Agitated, Sam pushed the covers aside and sat up on the edge of the bed. "What about the girl that just blew through here?"

Dean frowned. "You mean Kira?"

Sam gritted his teeth so hard, his jaw popped. "Yes, I mean Kira."

Dean shrugged. "It's no big deal. She's a hitchhiker I picked up a few hours back. Had a bit of a bathroom emergency." He then started the familiar ritual of sniffing his clothes to see what had one or two more wears in it (which went into a pile on the bed), and what needed to be washed or torched immediately (which went into a pile on the floor).

"A hitchhiker?" Sam frowned. "You picked up a hitchhiker? And brought her back _here_?" Not that they'd never picked up hitchhikers. But said hitchhikers didn't end up in their motel rooms. "And…" Sam demanded. Because there had to be more to it than that.

"And. I, uh…" Suddenly, Dean seemed uncomfortable, almost embarrassed. And he was giving the clothes way more attention than they needed. "Well, she's a runaway. About sixteen, from what I can tell. She's got no money, no food. And her last ride dumped her in the middle of nowhere, then took off with her stuff."

His peace spoken, he went back to sniffing and tossing.

For a long moment, Sam just stared at his brother. Then, as what Dean had done (and why) sank in, a soft smile spread across Sam's lips. Hell, he would've said, "Awwww," if he didn't think he'd get beaten to death for it.

A long moment passed in silence. Finally, Dean glanced up from his clothes sorting. When he saw the expression on Sam's face, his brow crinkled into a forbidding frown. The look in his eyes said, _Don't you **dare** make a big thing out of this._

Sam's smile turned into a grin. Nothing made Dean squirm more than revealing his heart-of-gold. Even though, as far as Sam was concerned, that was one of Dean's best qualities.

Still, they were brothers, so he had to rib him a little.

"That was really sweet, Dean," Sam said gently.

"Oh, shut up!" Dean hissed, throwing a shirt onto the floor.

"No, really!" Sam insisted earnestly. "A young girl, out there all alone? We both know what could've happened to her if you hadn't picked her up."

"Yeah, well…" Apparently deciding there weren't enough 'clean' clothes for it to make a difference, Dean dumped them all into the 'need to clean' pile. "It's no big deal."

_Yes, it is,_ Sam wanted to say, but he knew Dean didn't take praise well. Not unless it was about either his hunting prowess, or his way with the ladies. So, instead, he just sat there, watching Dean unpack the rest of his stuff, smiling a proud and slightly teasing smile.

Eventually, it was just too much for his big brother. "Oh, for crying out loud," Dean huffed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. Bending down, he started to stuff the dirty clothes into a large plastic bag.

As Dean mumbled about needing to hit the Laundromat, and how much he doing laundry, Sam's eyes went back to the closed bathroom door. Slowly, his amusement faded.

"What are we going to do?"

"No idea," Dean said without hesitation. "I'm hoping we can convince her to go to a runaway shelter. They can give her a safe place to stay. And they'll know what to do if her home is really too bad for her to go back to. Only, you know how it is. We can't just drop her off. She has to want to go or…"

"Or she probably won't stay." Sam nodded in agreement.

"The good thing is I think she's smart enough to decide to go to one on her own. She just needs time to think about it."

"Time not spent starving and sleeping on the streets," Sam concluded, frowning at the closed door. She was taking a long time in there. Probably doing some personal girl stuff. Stuff Sam had been ignorant about until he moved in with Jess. "You know what, Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean looked up expectantly.

"What you did? It really _was_ sweet."

Dean's disgusted groan was drowned out by Sam's delighted laughter.

* * *

Kira splashed another handful of cold water on her face. She was feeling light-headed and panicky again, which seemed to be the emotion on special today. The dizziness hit every time she thought about how far she was from home. From _everyone_ she knew.

Although she wasn't feeling quite as panicky as she had before. Because it seemed that, completely by accident, she'd picked up—or been picked up by—a guardian angel. At first glance, one wouldn't peg Dean Winchester as a do-gooder type, but that was what he was turning out to be. Which was better than him turning out to be a psycho freak.

Turning off the water, Kira straightened up. As she used her hands to dry off her face, her eyes fell on the reflection of her 'bracelet.' As she stared at the yellow stone in its center, her Dino Gem, she had the sudden urge to shout, "Dino Thunder, power up!" just to see what would happen. But all that's probably do was convince Dean and his brother she was nuts.

"His brother," Kira remembered. She hadn't gotten a good look at him during her mad dash to the bathroom. Now, she was curious to see what Dean's brother was like.

Opening the bathroom door, Kira took a step out into the main room.

Dean's brother—-who was wearing sweat shorts and a t-shirt-—spotted her immediately. Standing, he gave her a friendly, almost shy smile. "Hey."

"H-hey," Kira said as she looked up at him. And she did mean _up_. While Dean was tall, his brother was huge! Kira was used to being one of the shortest people in any group. But, next to Sam, she felt like a munchkin.

"Kira," Dean said, "this is my little brother Sam."

"Little?" Kira muttered under her breath. Luckily, neither brother seemed to hear her.

"Nice to meet you, Kira," Sam said. "Dean tells me you're going to be riding with us for a while."

"Yeah, I guess so." Then, a worried frown creased her brow. "As long as you don't mind."

"No, of course not," Sam assured her. Then, he grinned. "Of course, it probably won't take long for us to start getting on your nerves. Well, mostly him," he said, nodding towards Dean.

He got a glare from Dean in return.

Kira smiled. Okay, Sam was a giant. But he seemed like a friendly giant.

Still glaring, Dean said, "Alright! Now that everybody knows everybody else, I need to head out for a few minutes." And he started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked as he collapsed onto his bed. And Kira remembered Dean saying he'd been sick.

"I need to see if I can rent a cot from the manager's office since Kira here is taking my bed."

Kira froze, letting out an almost audible gasp. As her heart started to pound in her chest, she finally, fully understood certain facts that should have been obvious to her long before now. Like she was about to share a motel room with two men. Two men who were total strangers. Even if she wasn't getting creepy vibes off of them, that didn't change the whole "shacking up in a motel room with two strange men" thing.

"Why don't you just share a bed with me?" Sam was asking. "We've done it plenty of time before."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "But, those other times? You didn't have 'flu cooties."

Caught in the midst of puritanical panic as she'd been, the last thing Kira expected to do was laugh. But that did it. Chuckling, she put her hand up to cover over her mouth.

Sam, however, didn't seem to think his brother was funny. "I'm not contagious anymore, Dean."

"Yeah, whatever, Dr. Know It All. I'll be right back."

Before Sam could come up with a clever come back, Dean was out the door. Glaring after his brother, Sam snorted in exasperation as he folded his arms.

Kira smiled, and her panic drained away. Okay, she was definitely in a strange situation here. And, after the months she'd spent as a Ranger, that was saying something. Still, if nothing else, it looked like her stay here was going to be entertaining.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Tommy," Hayley snapped, voice strained. "Would you please stop hovering. It's not helping."

Pulling his eyes off the control center's monitors, Dr. Thomas Oliver glanced at his friend. And realized he was hanging over her right shoulder, hands gripping the back of her chair.

Straightening up, Tommy took a step back. "Sorry Hayley. It's just…I'm just…"

Hayley turned to give him a sad, understanding smile. "Yeah. I know."

As she went back to work, fingers flying across the computer keys, Tommy sighed. He wished he could do more to help. But, as Hayley liked to point out, he was the dinosaur expert. _She_ was the rocket scientist…among other things. He was no slouch when it came to the technical side of their operation. But he was nothing compared to her.

Hands in his pockets, Tommy started to pace the lab. When asked what he wanted to do after getting his doctorate in paleontology, becoming the mentor for a group of teenaged Power Rangers hadn't been on the list. But, when the time came, he couldn't turn his back, couldn't leave them to fight alone. He had to use his knowledge and experience to help them. 

It didn't matter that he hadn't been the one to force the powers on them, and he'd take them away in an instant if he could. He still felt responsible. For them, for what they had to go through. Everything.

They were just kids! Their biggest concerns should be passing tests, dating, and avoiding the wrath of Principal Randell. Not risking their lives saving the world from evil mutants and megalomaniacs.

He sometimes forgot he'd been exactly where they were when he was their age. That he wouldn't have traded his time as a Ranger (fighting Rita, and Zed, and all the baddies that came after them) for anything. He still felt like he was helping to take something away from his students. Some part of being teenagers that they'd never get back.

"Stop brooding," Hayley said, never looking away from the monitors.

Tommy smiled. Okay, he was brooding a little. But he couldn't help it. Not when he was wondering if they'd find Kira before her mother started to really worry about her.

Tommy looked to the remaining Rangers. They'd been sitting in the same corner most of the day, turning to their individual interests to relieve the tension of waiting.

Ethan James, the Blue Ranger, was typing away at his laptop, fingers moving almost as fast as Hayley's.

Trent Fernandez, the White Ranger, had been drawing for hours. The table was covered with sketches of beautiful super heroines, all of whom bore a striking resemblance to Kira.

Connor McKnight, the Red Ranger, was bouncing a little red soccer ball on the floor, against the wall. Tommy usually found it annoying. But, tonight, the entire scene was comforting. Familiar.

The only thing missing was Kira, strumming away at her guitar.

Closing his eyes, Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. This was his nightmare come true. Every time he sent the kids out to fight a battle, even though he knew it had to be done, a knot the size of a giant's fist settled in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't as bad when he was out there with them, but it was always there. And it didn't go away until they were all back, safe and sound. Connor, Ethan, Trent, and Kira.

Only, one of them hadn't come back. Not this time.

Tommy's memory replayed The Moment. The one he'd watched over and over again on the monitors. The Yellow Ranger shot Mesagog's latest creation with her Thundermax Blaster. The creature exploded, its body releasing a wave of energy that swept the immediate area. The energy slammed into Kira. There was a flash of light…

And she was gone.

No words could describe the horror he'd felt at that moment. The grief so crushing, he almost couldn't breathe. The only thing that kept him from losing it was the kids. He had to stay strong, be the adult.

Thank God for Hayley. Despite her own feelings, she'd refused to accept what her eyes insisted had happened. Not without checking, anyway.

The creature was the key. It had the ability to phase in and out of a shadow dimension. It couldn't stay phased for long, but it was enough for it to escape weapons fire, and confuse and disorient its opponents as it "vanished" from one spot, and reappeared in another.

Kira scored a lucky shot, guessing where it would reappear, and hitting it between phases. Only, it's destruction (it's _total_ destruction, so Mesagog couldn't reassemble the thing and make it grow) released an energy that pushed the teen out of her own reality and into another.

Now, Hayley was searching the inter-dimensional highway (so to speak), trying to lock on to Kira's Dino Gem energy and follow it to…wherever she was. 

Of course, if…_when_ they found her, getting her back would be a whole other problem.

"Dr. O? You okay?"

Tommy looked up to find his students watching him with worried eyes.

"I'm fine, Ethan," he said, dredging up a reassuring smile. "But it's getting late, guys. You should all head home."

"No way, Dr. O.," Connor denied forcefully. "We're not leaving until we find Kira."

The Blue and White Rangers nodded in agreement.

"Look, guys. I know how you feel. I do. But this could take a while. Despite what she'd like us all to believe, Hayley isn't a miracle worker."

This got weak smiles from the team, and a snort from Hayley.

"Go home," Tommy ordered. "I'll call you if anything comes up. I promise."

After a little more coaxing, the three reluctant teens left the lab.

Hands behind his back, Tommy returned to the console where Hayley was working.

"We're going to find her," the team's tech expert said, voice strong and certain.

Tommy hesitated for one long moment before nodding. "I know."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Kira Ford woke with a start.

Gasping for air, she sat up in bed. For a moment, the darkness surrounding her made her feel like she was still in the dream…the nightmare. Her heart slammed against the walls of her chest, pounded in her ears. Her eyes darted around frantically, trying to see through the walls of blackness that pressed against her from every side.

Then, slowly, as her eyes began to adjust, she remembered where she was. While the curtains were thick, a few slivers of moonlight managed to break through here and there, enough for her to make out shapes in the room.

There was Sam, bundled under the covers in the bed next to hers.

And Dean, in the cot at the foot of the bed, even though she'd offered to switch with him when she saw how small the cot actually was.

As her heart began to slow, panic easing inch by slow inch, she could hear the brothers' breathing, the sound filling the otherwise silent room. It was comforting. Proof that there were two other living, breathing people in the room with her. That she wasn't completely alone.

Taking a deep breath, Kira laid back down, fingers twitching to reach over and turn on the lamp. But that would wake up Sam and Dean. And they would ask what was wrong. And she'd refuse to talk about the nightmare, but them asking would bring it to the surface anyway.

Even now, she was trying not to remember being lost in a large, dark place with no light, or walls. She was sure she was outside, but there were no stars, no moon. Just nothing. Nothing but her friends' voices calling her name. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't answer, couldn't reach them. And the voices started to drift away. She ran after them, as fast as she could. But they kept moving farther and farther…

Shivering in the dark, Kira turned over onto her side, Sam's—she was sure it was Sam's—t-shirt, which was ten sized to big for her, bunching and twisting around her waist. Eyes wide, she stared at one of the cracks in the drapes, at the shaft of moonlight shining through.

_Think of something else,_ she ordered herself. _Think of something else._

Immediately, she thought about her mom, and how she would freak when her daughter never came home.

Kira squeezed her eyes shut, pushing those thoughts away. They were as bad as the dream.

Instead, she thought of the team. Dr. O, and Hayley, and the guys. She bet they were looking for her right now. Doing whatever it took to get her home.

_Unless they think you're dead,_ a scared little voice whispered from the back of her mind. _What if they think you're dead? Then, they won't be looking for you because they'd think there was nothing to find. Which means you're stuck here, all alone. Right? Right!_

And, suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

Throwing the covers aside, Kira all but fell out of the bed. Taking deep, gasping breaths, but unable to get enough air, she made a mad dash for the bathroom, not caring that she was doing it blind.

It was no wonder she crashed into the cot.

Pitching forward, she instinctively reached forward to steady herself, one hand landing hard on a t-shirt covered shoulder.

Dean's reaction was immediate and swift. One hand grabbed her arm in a crushing grip. The other grabbed the collar of her t-shirt. And she had the strong impression she would've been sent flying if she hadn't let out a startled yelp.

"What the…" Dean began, somehow sounding both groggy and alert. "Kira!" And, immediately, he let her go.

Under normal circumstances, Kira would've had some kind of reaction to all of this. Would've fought back. Something. But the panic still had her in its grip, and all she could do was stammer a weak, "S-sorry," before stumbling towards the bathroom.

77777777777

By the time the bathroom door slammed shut, Dean was fully awake.

Sitting up in the cot, Dean looked towards Sam's bed. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that his little brother was still a lump under the covers, apparently undisturbed by the commotion. Which proved he wasn't a hundred percent just yet.

Reaching up to rub his eyes, Dean's mind replayed what had just happened.

What _had_ just happened?

All he remembered was something crashing into him. He'd reacted the way he'd been taught to react when attacked in his sleep. But he'd held back some, aware—even on a subconscious level—that he was sharing the room, and whatever was waking him might not be an enemy.

Thank God, or Kira could've been seriously hurt.

The crash that had woken him up. Something had been off about it. From the force of it, that hadn't been Kira trying to get to the bathroom in the dark and accidentally bumping into the cot. It felt more like she'd…run into it.

Frowning, Dean turned to stare at the sliver of light that had appeared beneath the bathroom door. What was she doing running in a pitch black room in the middle of the night?

And Dean's mind went back a few months. A few times—just a few—Sam had woken up reliving the night of the fire. Diving from the bed. Staring up at the ceiling of whatever motel they were in, like he expected to see Jessica there. Screaming her name.

His confusion quickly fading into concern, Dean got up. Not even sure what he was going to do, he padded over to the bathroom and gently knocked on the door. "Kira?" he called softly enough not to wake Sam. "You okay in there?"

For a moment, there was no answer. Just the sound of running water. Then, finally, he heard a faint, "I'm fine."

_Uh huh._

"You sure?"

Abruptly, the water shut off. A few more seconds, and the door was wrenched open.

"Of course I'm fine," Kira said, sounding slightly defensive. "Why wouldn't I be?"

As Dean's eyes adjusted to the light, he studied her blank expression. The just-this-side-of-Goth makeup she'd been wearing earlier was gone, which made her look even younger. Wet tendrils of hair were plastered to her forehead and temples, like she'd just splashed cold water on her face.

"What was that about?" Dean asked, nodding back towards the cot. "You seemed to be in quite a hurry?"

Except for a slight widening of her eyes, her expression didn't change. "Yeah, well, guess I shouldn't have had that last soda."

Dean's eyebrows peaked. He knew when he was about to be stonewalled. He was, after all, the master.

"So, nothing's wrong?" he said. "Like bad dreams, maybe."

This time, Kira had a harder time hiding her reaction. But she tried to, ducking her head and shrugging. "It's no big deal. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Hey, it was nothin'."

For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other. And Dean didn't know what to do. He couldn't even get _Sam_ to talk to him about his nightmares half the time. And, to Kira, he was still a virtual stranger. But he felt like he should be doing something. Most people didn't panic over a dream like that—which had to have been what happened—unless it was serious.

"I'm really tired," Kira said dismissively, pushing past him.

And that was that.

Sighing, Dean reached into the bathroom and turned off the light.

"No!" Kira exclaimed.

Dean quickly turned the light back on, more so he could see Kira's expression than anything else.

She looked embarrassed. And scared.

"Could you leave it on?" she asked, lowering her voice. "Please."

Slowly, Dean nodded. "Yeah, sure."

With a weak, trembling smile, Kira got back into bed.

Dean returned to his cot, wondering what Kira's nightmare had been about. Because, if she'd been dreaming about back home, and things were bad enough to make her react that way, there was no way in hell he was sending her back there. Or turning her over to anyone _else_ who might send her back there.

It wasn't long before silence once again descended upon the room. But, for two of its occupants, sleep was still far away.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
